When Laravel first appeared it was a huge game changer for all PHP developers. The framework is clean, concise, and prevents complicated coding. Still, Laravel uses expressive syntax, making the code understandable even for those who haven’t developed the web application. Both small companies and large corporations use it. Programmers can really get creative while working on their projects because Laravel provides an exceptional and enjoyable experience for all of them.
The Main Features of Laravel
Laravel comes with plenty of features and functionalities. All of them are nicely organized in a toolbox to help the developers write exceptional apps with fewer chances for mistakes.
So, these are the main features of the framework:
- Simplified authentication
- Template engine
- Advanced object-relational mapping (ORM)
- Model View Controller (MVC) support
- A safe and secure migration system
- Very secure
- Unit-testing
- Includes many pre-installed libraries
- Artisan command to prevent repetitive manual actions
Surely, you can find some of these features in many similar PHP frameworks, but Laravel offers a unique combination of them all.
Also, Laravel is an open-source framework and comes with a vast community. All these people are here for their friends-developers, to help them with the challenges and figure out practical solutions for common issues.
Benefits Of Laravel
Laravel comes with many features, which we already described. Let’s focus on the benefits now.
1. Easy Mail Syncing
As you work on a project, you may need some email confirmations, and Laravel makes that possible for you. Also, reports and user activities can be tracked by email integration and notices, which is crucial for successful app implementation.
2. Automated Testing
Automated testing takes less time than manual testing. Laravel has built-in test features, tracking every potential issue, bug, or error. Developers can focus on fixing them on time before the app is delivered to the users.
3. Efficient Command Lines
Artisan is an example of a built-in tool that allows one simple command line to create a structure. After that, the whole structure is easy to manage, including the database structures.
4. 100% Security Features
Laravel always receives the top marks when it comes to security. No framework is perfect, but compared to the others, this one is top-rated.
5. Task Management
With Laravel, you can create and configure tasks and schedule them as needed. This gives you a nice image of priorities and results and may reduce the overall cost of web app development.
6. Pre-written Apps and Code Pieces
Laravel comes with plenty of pre-written codes and apps. You can use them as starting point when building a new app or service. This also lowers the cost of developing apps, similar to others.
What Is Laravel Used for?
Primarily, Laravel is used to build web apps and dynamic websites. Many companies have Laravel-based websites, including IT, entertainment, retail, traveling, finance, micro-social networks, etc.
It’s used for single-page apps, multi-page apps, and even big corporate and enterprise web solutions. You will often meet a content management system (CMS) built with Laravel.
For more than a decade and about 20 versions of the framework, we can say that Laravel has been the top choice for many developers. Currently, Laravel 9 is widely used, while Laravel 6 and Laravel 8 are still maintained. Two more versions are announced for 2023 and 2024, named Laravel 10 and Laravel 11, respectively.
Job Responsibilities For Laravel Developers
Most of the internet we know today is based on PHP and PHP frameworks. That means Laravel developers will always find a great job, whether they want to get hired by a company or prefer the digital nomad lifestyle.
Many companies are looking for Laravel developers for hire for both job models. The job description and responsibilities are the same for all the developers on the market, including:
- Creating web services using Laravel
- Debugging the projects
- Troubleshooting issues
- Smooth app integration
- Regular meetings with the team and clients
- Fixing the issues
- Implementing feedback points
- Web app maintenance
- Taking security actions and measures
- Working on PHP modules
- Testing PHP modules
These are the primary responsibilities, and they may vary depending on the job position.
But, we can say Laravel is wholly utilized and simplified, and programmers can create amazing projects with exceptional features. The code is clean and polished, which is excellent for all those who want to work on big tasks and make a career from it.
How To Become a Laravel Developer?
Learning the Laravel basics can take a few weeks or up to a few months, depending on your familiarity with PHP, HTML, JavaScript, and included libraries.
If you study computer science and engineering, you will probably have mandatory PHP and HTML courses to get enough basic knowledge. After that, you are ready to get used to frameworks to make your life easier.
Laravel basics lay on HTML and PHP documentation, so we recommend starting with them before you move to the framework. Also, you need to understand:
- What is the MVC (Model View Controller) pattern?
- What is CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Destroy) as the main principle of the Laravel projects?
- Laravel fundamentals, libraries, syntax, and available resources.
- Build a simple project, like “Hello, World” code, before you move to something more complex.
Once you get used to the basics, you will easily understand the advanced features, like how to update laravel, or even how laravel auth works.
Until then, you need to practice the basics and repeat as needed.
Additionally, you can find online courses that will take you to the Laravel journey by taking small steps at a time. Learning resources provided by the community are also helpful as an addition to your studying or course lessons.
Laravel gives you many options for jobs and building up your professional portfolio. No matter if you are a dedicated in-house programmer or a freelancer, always upgrade your knowledge, and learn new things. That ensures you stay on the market longer, being competitive even against more experienced developers.
Helpful Tips To Learn Laravel
In this section, we will sum up some of the most valuable tips while learning Laravel. You can use some of them when you learn other programming languages or frameworks:
- Official documentation is great, but it’s useless if you don’t understand the Core PHP environment.
- Learn the basics of PHP to get used to the syntax.
- Focus on the rules of object-oriented programming, and get familiar with the terms like classes, objects, methods, etc.
- Don’t use too many resources at once since you can easily get confused.
- Find a course you will follow, assuming that you are now familiar with basic PHP.
- Less reading, more writing. The theory is valuable, but you can’t really use the theoretical knowledge when working in Laravel. Instead, write a piece of code, and see how it goes.
- You can easily find a mentor. Many developers will gladly share their knowledge with inexperienced Laravel enthusiasts.
- There will be hard times, and you might think you will never learn Laravel. But, the secret is not to give up, even at the hardest.
Following these tips, you will learn to develop advanced apps easily and simplify the complex approach.
If so, maybe Laravel is the call for your growth as a developer!
